Buckle.



W. A. MEYER.

BUCKLE. APPLICATION rum) mm 12, 1906.

Patented Feb. 9, i909.

wiLLIAM A. MEYER, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

BUCKLE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

Application filed June 12, 1906. Serial No. 321,374.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. MEYER, a c1t1zen of the United-States, of Buffalo,

in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain. new and use-- ful Improvements in Buckles; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a buckle intended more especially for use in connection with wearing apparel'but which is also adapted for other uses.

"The invention consists in the 'matters hereinafterdescribed and pointed out in the 'ap ended claimsx" r i ong the cheats of the invention are to provide in connection with a buckle'of that kind-having two parts or members, to wit,a part adapted to be fastenedto a strap and provided with holding prongs adapted to penetrate another strap and a loop portion hinged to said main or body portion,locking means by which both of the members of the buckle may be locked or held in their closed or holding positions, and also; to provide 'a construction in such buckles by whichone or both parts or mem bers thereof may be made or formed from flat sheet metal by a simplepunching operation, while at the same time the buckle as made, isstrong, reliable and durable.

As shown in the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of buckle embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or face View thereof. Fig. 3 is an edge View of the same. Fig. 4 is a face view of a modified form of the buckle. Fig, 5 is a sectional View, taken on line 5-5 of Fig.4.

First referring to the form of buckle shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the same consists of two parts or members, namely, a pronged body member A and a loop part B which is hinged'to the member A. Both of the parts A and Bare made of sheet metal. The body membe'rA'is provided at its rear or outer margin with a transverse slot 0 by which the" same may be connected with a loop: formed on the end of a strap, such as one of the straps on therearof a vest. The body'member A is also provided with two prongs A A adapted to engage or pene tra'te a second strap which passes through the loop member and which is to be adjustably connected by the buckle with the strap to which the buckle is secured.

At its opposite sides the body member A is provided with two integral, parallel arms A A which extend in the same direction as the prongs A A and have hinged or pivotal engagement with the loop member B. Said loop member is generally of U-form and consistsof a cross bar B and two parallel arms I) b the ends of which have pivotal connection with the arms A A of the body member A. Said member 13 consists of a strip of. sheet metal bent to form the cross bar B and the arms 5 b; the end portions of the strip, which form said arms, being arranged at right" angles'to the plane of the body member A. The centralor transverse cross-bar B of the loop member-B is preferably arranged obliquely with respect to the plane of the body member, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 3, and so disposed with respect to the ends of the prongs A A that said prongs willbear against one of its inclined flat faces. when the loop member is swung toward the said prongs or brought into contact with the points of the same.

' 1 At the inner ends of the arms I) b of the loop. member B said arms are provided with holes or eyesb adapted to receive pivot studsa which are formed upon and extend inwardly from the'arms, A? A of the main or'body member A; said studs a a being integral with the' arms A A and being formed upon the said arms in the punching or shearing operation by which the said body member A is cut from the metal sheet out of which it is stamped. The entire body member A is thus made of a single piece of sheet 'metal and requires no bending or swaging operation to give it its final form. The arms I; b of the loop member B are engaged with the pivot lugs a a by merely bending the free ends of said arms inwardly or toward each other so as, to permit them to-pass the inner ends of thesaid pivot, lugs and then expanding said arms, or allowing them to expand by the resiliency of the metal of which they are composed, until engaged'with said pivot lugs. The said arms A -A ;are very stiff or rigid, to resist outward bending thereof, because such outthe plane of the sheet metal of which the body member is formed. The bringing of any inward pressure upon the ends of the arms Z) 6, such as might release them from the pivot studs is prevented by the presence of the outer ends of the arms A A which extend outside of the inner ends of said arms Z) F). It follows that the two members are unlikely to be disconnected through any strain brought upon the same in use. dental separation of the members of the buckle by inward pressure coming on the arms 6 Z) is further prevented, by the said arms A A} which are extended beyond the pivot studs 04 a so as to form extensions or arms a (E. in connection with the said arms a a the arms Z) 6 of the loop member are provided with punched-up bosses of, 6 located in position to engage the arms a a? when the two members are in the same plane, or when the cross-bar of the loop member is engaged with the prongs A A in a manner to hold said prongs from being disengaged from the end of the strap which passes through the loop member and which is penetrated by the prongs. The said bosses 6 Z) are rounded, so that the two parts of the buckle may be flexed by applying some de gree of pressure thereto; the arms 7) I) yielding slightly inward to permit the bosses to pass the arms as the cross-bar of the loop member is turned or swung away from the points of the prongs A A The modified form of buckle shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is generally like that shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In this instance, the arms a a on the body part of the buckle are adapted to bear upon the outer side faces of the arms 6 b of the loop member, and the main parts of said arms 6 b are obliquely disposed or shaped to form external oblique faces Z1 adapted for engagement with said arms a (L The oblique faces Z1 Z) 011 the arms are inclined in such manner that the same are at a greater distance apart at the edges of the arms which approach the prongs A A as the loop is swung towards said prongs, than at the opposite edges of said arms Z). Moreover, the outwardly extending parts of said oblique surfaces 6 b are adapted to bear with a spring pressure,

due to the outward springing or resiliency of the arms 6 Z), against the extremities of the arms a (4 so that when the crossbar B of the loop member is in contact with the ends of the prongs A A the ends of said arms a? a will be pressed with some force against the oblique surfaces b b and will thereby hold the said cross-bar against the prongs and prevent the same from being swung away from the prongs unless some considerable pressure is applied to the loop member to swing it away from the prongs.

When, however, pressure is so applied to the loop member to swing it away from the prongs, the ends of the arms 7) 7) will be pressed slightly inward by the action of the ends of the arms of on the oblique surfaces b 6 thereby permitting the said arms I) b to pass from engagement with the arms Z2 Z2 and leaving the loop free to swing.

it follows from the above that the arms a (E, forming projections or extensions of the arms )3 A beyond the pivot studs a a, in. connection with the oblique surfaces I) b on the outer faces of the arms 7) 7) oil' the loop member constitute, as do the bosses (1 shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, yieldingly operating locking means adapted to hold the loop member normally in engagement with the prongs it A of the buckle, thereby preventing the said prongs from becoming disengaged from the strap penetrated thereby unless the loop member is first intentionally thrown back or released from its contact with the prongs. It will be manifest, more over, that locking means other than the specific devices described may be used to hold the loop member in engagement with the prongs of the main member of the buckle, and I desire, therefore, to broadly claim a loop member having parallel arms which are located inside of and are hinged to the integral arms of the body member together with locking means adapted to hold said loop member in its normal. position or in contact with the said prongs of the body member and also to claim broadly in such a construction such locking means when adapted for yielding engagement.

It is to be further understood that one of the principal features of my invention is embodied in the construction by which the body of the buckle is provided with lateral arms A A located outside of the arms of the loop member and having integral, inwardly extending pivotstuds (61 a for engagement with the arms of the loop member of the buckle, and that so far as this main feature of the invention is concerned, said loop member with its arms may be made, shaped or constructed otherwise than in the particular manner shown.

I claim as my invention 1- 1. A buckle comprising a body member i having prongs and provided with lateral, rigid arms having integral, inwardly extending pivot studs and a loop member consisting of a strip of sheet metal, the arms of which are bent inwardly parallel with each other with their liat faces at right angles to the body portion of the buckle, said arms being located inside of the arms on the body me ibers and having at their inner ends eyes adapted to receive said pivot studs on i the body member.

2. A- buckle comprising a body member provided with prongs and with lateral rigid arms having inwardly extending integral pivot studs and a loop member, the arms of lOb which extend inside of the arms on the body member and are provided with eyes adapted to engage said pivot studs, said lateral arms on the body member being extended past the pivot studs.

3. A buckle comprising a body member provided with prongs and with lateral rigid arms having inwardly extending pivot studs, and a loop member having resilient arms which extend inside the arms on the body member and which engage the pivot studs; said lateral arms on the body member being extendedpast said pivot studs, and the arms of the loop member being provided with external outwardly projecting parts adapted to engage said arms on the body member.

4. A buckle comprising a body member provided with prongs and with lateral, rigid arms of the loop member having external oblique surfaces adapted for contact with the extended ends of the arms on the body member.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses, this th day of June WILLIAM A. MEYER.

Witnesses:

BURT BRIGGS,

HOWARD ASHTON. 

